On 17 December, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow might increase the number of Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh if both Armenia and Azerbaijan give their consent. 

He stressed that people on both sides assess the situation fully and that increasing the number of Russian peacekeepers is purely technical in nature. “If all sides come to the conclusion that it is necessary, we will do it. If not, then we will not do it. But it’s not only about the peacekeepers, it’s also about the work of our services - the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Border Service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB),” he said. 

Armenia's Defence Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan said that Russian peacekeepers need to be deployed along Armenia’s Syunik region which is bordered with Azerbaijan. This announcement came after some residents of the Syunik region blocked the road leading to the Kapan airport, demanding clarifications from the relevant authorities regarding the organisation of border protection with Azerbaijan.

It was also reported that some favourable positions of Kapan will be handed over to Azerbaijan following the reports of clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers  in the area of Hin Taghlar and Khtsaberd villages of the Hadrut region (Caucasus Watch reported). Kapan’s Mayor Gevorg Parsyan stated that he was surprised by the decision as it was not foreseen by the 9 November trilateral statement. “The territory near us is Zangelan, the territory near Goris is Kubatlu. This agreement does not say anything about Kubatlu and Zangelan regions,” he said.

Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan stated that works on clarifying the data of captives captured from Khtsaberd (Caucasus Watch reported) were underway with the Azerbaijani authorities. He talked about some tension in Hin Shen, adding that discussions are taking place, but the issue is not completely settled.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Russian peacekeepers were encircled by the Azerbaijani forces in the territory of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd communities of Hadrut region. He stressed that there were problems with communication. “Russian peacekeepers too have such problems, and we have some critical situation there,” he said. This statement was afterwards denied by Russia’s Defence Ministry. “The information about the alleged encirclement of Russian peacekeeping forces by any parties in Nagorno-Karabakh is not true," the ministry stressed. The ministry clarified that units of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh address their tasks as routine both in observation posts and when monitoring the ceasefire compliance. “The ceasefire is observed along the whole line of contact,” the ministry pointed out. 

The Azerbaijani media also reported on rising tensions in the region. The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry press service's Barda regional group stated that security measures were being strengthened in the Nagorno-Karabakh territories that fall under Azerbaijan’s control. The country’s defence ministry stated that the activities to improve the supply issues in the units of Azerbaijan’s army in the Karabakh territories was underway. The ministry also reported that at the same time, the troops' service and combat duty were organised in the human settlements in these territories and in new positions in high mountainous areas. 

Azerbaijan’s Head of the Working Group of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens Eldar Samadov stated that his country immediately demanded the return of its three citizens who remain in Armenian captivity. He added that all three Azerbaijani hostages have been registered by international organisations. Samadov also emphasised that to this day the bodies of 314 Azerbaijani servicemen and bodies of 775 Armenian servicemen have been removed from the combat zone. The de facto State Emergency Service of Nagorno-Karabakh on the other hand reported that 933 bodies of Armenian servicemen were found, without specifying the number of bodies of Azerbaijani servicemen.

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also commented on the current events in the region. He emphasised that negotiations were underway with Azerbaijan on the establishment of a monitoring centre in Nagorno-Karabakh and on how many people will come to the observation points in the region. “There have been cases of ceasefire violations by Armenia in recent days. Azerbaijan responded to them, but Russia also has a responsibility here. Because, according to the tripartite statement, there are Russian peacekeeping forces there. Russia must prevent the ceasefire violation, otherwise the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has given the necessary message,” Cavosoglu added. He also said that Turkey would open its borders to Armenia depending on the correct and effective operation of the process in Nagorno-Karabakh.